


Release Me

by DangerouslyHappy



Series: Forgiveness Is a Long Road Home [2]
Category: Bonanza
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 19:05:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6251902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DangerouslyHappy/pseuds/DangerouslyHappy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe was gone for over a year. He had nothing holding to him one place for the whole year and a half that he was gone, now that he's home again his Pa doesn't want to let him out of his sight. How will the newly independent Joe react to his Pa's need to protect him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Release Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to my story Forgive Me and you might want to read that first.

It had been more than two months since Joe had returned and Ben still refused to let his youngest out of his sight. Whatever Joe did he was shadowed by either his Pa or brother’s and to be honest Joe was getting tired of being followed. One of the many things Ben had not allowed since Joe had come home was for him to go into town, and that was about to change. 

Joe was certain that his family was going to make him go insane before the end of the week. He had been home for quite awhile yet his family still acted as if he’d just got home. Every morning Joe woke up before the others went out and worked in the barn or with the horses just like he had at the K-10. Every morning Joe would go into the house at a few minutes past six and like clock work he was enveloped in hugs from each of his family members.

Joe knew that they had missed him very much when he was gone but he thought that they needed to realize that he wasn’t going to be leaving any time soon. So this morning Joe waited until they were all seated at the table before he came inside. Joe nearly ran over to the table and sat down before the other’s had a chance to get up. 

“We need to talk after breakfast,” Joe said.

Ben, Adam and Hoss were all puzzled, ‘why did Joe want to talk to them after breakfast?’ 

When breakfast was over they moved into the living room and waited for Joe to speak. After a few seconds of silence Joe spoke. “I’ve been home for going on two months now and you guys are still suffocating me and makeing sure you know exactly where I’m at. I want it to stop. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon and I would like some room to breath.”

Ben was shocked by what Joe said, but, even so he realized that it was true he and the boys had been keeping a closer eye on Joe since he came back then when he had been five. “We will try to give you more space Joe, but you have to know we’re not doing this intentionally.” Ben said.

“I know you’re not so I decided to tell you that I will be heading into town tonight.” Joe said.

“No!” Ben said before he could stop himself.

“You don’t have much of a choice Pa I’m going one way or another.”

“Then at least let your brother’s go with you?” Ben knew he was begging but he still didn’t want something to happen to his youngest. “Would you at least allow me this? I…I.”

Joe shook his head, “I know you don’t want me to leave again Pa, but even so you need to give me time on my own. I’m not saying that I’ll stop them if they want to go, but I won’t encourage them to follow if they don’t want to go to town.”

Suddenly Hoss interrupted. “Pa I think that Joe is right and I for one am not up to going into town tonight. I’ve got to take care of that mare I just know that she’s going to go any minute now and I just can’t leave her.”

“I agree with Hoss Pa,” Adam said, “And I also agree with Joe. We can’t keep him here until he’s old and gray, Pa. That’s not fair to him or us.”

Ben’s shoulders slumped in defeat, “I just don’t want to lose you again.” He said with resignation in his voice. 

Joe smiled, “I’m not going anywhere for awhile Pa. I told you that I wasn’t going anywhere without telling you unless I have no other choice. Trust me Pa. I can handle myself.”

Ben smiled at his son, “Alright just don’t forget your coat. It’s a bit nippy out there.”

Joe looked over to his green jacket and shook his head, “I’ll take my duster.” He said before he went up stairs to grab his duster and Ben didn’t know it, but he also grabbed his shoulder holster. If Ben had known that Joe had grabbed his shoulder holster he wouldn’t have let Joe leave the house.

Even after two months of his family finding him Joe hadn’t told them everything that he had ever done in his year and a half away. Joe knew that he had many enemies out there just waiting for their chance to strike. He also knew that two of those men had brothers working at the Ponderosa. Joe was scared for his family and he knew that he would leave again before he let those men, his enemies, near his family. 

Joe came down the stairs and smiled at his father before walking over and giving him a hug, “I’ll be fine Pa don’t worry.” His Pa hadn’t felt the holster and for that Joe was grateful. 

“I worry every time you leave the house, Joe. I have a fear that I won’t see you again when you leave.” Ben looked at his youngest with sad eyes. “It nearly killed me not knowing if you were okay what you were doing. I was scared that you could be lying out there some where dying and I would never know how you had died or…”

It was in that instant that Joe truly understood what he had put his father through when he had left. Joe just smiled at Ben and went towards the door, “I’ll be back before midnight. If I’m not you have my permission to send out a search party.”

As Joe saddled Cochise and rode down the road he was thinking about what he had to tell his Pa when the time came for him to disappear in order to get the men that were after him. He didn’t think he could just go up to his Pa and say, ‘Oh by the way I’m going to have to leave for a while. Why? Well you see I got some men that are after me because I killed their kin when I was living in Oregon.’

Joe snorted he could just see the reaction to that one. Ben would blow up and then lock him in his room until the men had all been hunted down. Joe shook his head as Cochise picked up the pace. ‘Maybe I should just write him a letter and…that’s brilliant! I’m going to do that.’ 

**~~**~**~~**

When Joe made it to town he dismounted in front of the mercantile. When he walked in the room, which had been buzzing with activity just moments earlier, went quiet. Joe suddenly realized that he looked much different then he had when he left home. With his black clothes, his long black duster, and the two guns that when he moved peaked out from where they lay against his legs. Since Joe had started to wear these clothes he knew that he gave off a dangerous aura, but he hadn’t even thought that Virginia City, his hometown, would react like this. Some of these people had seen him grow up surely they recognized him.

Joe glanced over to Mr. and Mrs. Carlton, the owners of the store, they had often given him little treats when he was younger they would recognize him. Both of them were frozen in place and most assuredly terrified. Joe wanted to run out of there and weep. Suddenly the door opened and in walked one of the Ponderosa hands. 

He looked surprised at the tense atmosphere then he saw Joe, “Mr. Cartwright, I didn’t know you were in town I thought your Pa didn’t want you leaving the ranch.” The hand said as he stepped over to Joe.

As one the people in the store turned to stare at Joe. They had all heard the rumors that the youngest Cartwright had come home and was very different they just hadn’t known that he looked so much like a gunfighter. Some of the people that were Joe’s age and had gone to school with him were stunned. This was not the hot-tempered boy that they knew. This man before them acted cold and indifferent to those around him, while the Joe they knew would have been saying hi to everyone he knew.

“Hello Chad. You’re right he didn’t want me to leave the ranch, but I guess when you live on your own for so long you just have to get away from things that are familiar. I mean if you went up to the K-10 and asked Lydia she’d tell you that her hired hand was just lazy on some days and on other’s he just plain disappeared.” Joe chuckled, “Those were the days that Bret and I saw General Lydia the most. When she got something stuck in her craw you did it or you didn’t eat.”

The hand chuckled lightly. “It sounds like you had quite the time while you were away Mr. Cartwright.”

“Yeah I did,” Joe said with a smile. “And how many times must I tell you call me Joe I feel like looking for my Pa every time someone calls me Mr. Cartwright.”

“Sure mister I mean Joe,” Chad said.

“What are you in town for Chad?” Joe asked as he moved towards the writing supplies. 

“Well Mr. Cartwright told me to pick up some flour and sugar and he didn’t care how much or when I came home. Matter of fact he was acting pretty weird about the whole thing,” Chad said with a confused look on his face.

Joe just smiled and shook his head. “He sent you to keep an eye on me is what he did. He still thinks that I’m going to run off first chance I get, and if he keeps this up I just might do that. I was on my own for a year and a half. He just doesn’t understand that this has put me to the mind set that I need space to breathe.” Joe shrugged. “Ah well, I’ll just have to get used to it.” Chad nodded silently as Joe walked up to the counter with the writing supplies that he had picked out. 

“Why Joe I didn’t recognize you when you came in,” Mrs. Carlton said. “You sure have changed a lot since I last saw you.”

“I’m sure I have Mrs. Carlton. I’m sorry about the scare I gave you earlier I had just forgotten what I can look like on occasion.” Joe said a smile on his face.

“Oh that’s alright Joe dear, you just startled us and we were sure you were a gunfighter,” Mrs. Carlton said as she rang up his items, “That will be $2.10 and why don’t you take this little sack of candy for free.”

“But Mrs. Carlton,” Joe started.

“No but’s young man. You were gone for your last birthday and Christmas I reserve the right to spoil you even though you weren’t here last year.” Mrs. Carlton lectured him.

Joe laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender, “ Alright I admit defeat. You win, and thank you.”

“It’s no problem Joe your family weren’t the only ones that were missing you. Jess and me missed you an awful lot.” 

Joe chuckled as he walked out the door with his purchases and his late birthday/Christmas present in hand. Joe didn’t notice Chad following him until he reached the saloon. “Was there something you needed Chad?” Joe asked.

Chad hung his head slightly, which was funny to see a big buff cowhand do what a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar would do. “I… Well I figured I might as well get a drink and do what your Pa told me to do o’ course he didn’t actually tell me but you know.”

Joe smiled at Chad, “Yeah I do. Why don’t you come inside with me Chad and I’ll buy you a drink.”

The two men walked in and started talking. They talked for over an hour before Chad said he should probably get back to the Ponderosa.


End file.
